The invention relates to a sugarless ice cream; it also relates to the process for preparing it.
By the term "sugarless" is meant, in the confectionery field, articles which contain neither saccharose, nor dextrose, nor fructose, nor glucose syrups, these sugars being replaced by polyols such as xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, sorbitol, or hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, sorbitol being by far the most utilised.
Thus there is currently found on the market, sugarless confectionery such as hard candy, jelly gums, chewing gums and bubble gums, marshmallows, pastilles or tablets. This confectionery is marketed for its dietetic properties and/or its hypocariogenic qualities.
So-called dietetic sugarless ice creams are also found which are formulated by resorting to at least certain of the above-mentioned sugar substitutes.
It happens that these sugarless ice creams do not in any way show either the characteristics of texture, nor the taste characteristics of conventional ice cream; in particular, their characteristics of body, of melting, of unctuosity and of firmness in the mouth are not satisfactory.
It is a particular object of the invention to provide a sugarless ice cream which responds to the requirements of the confectionery and dairy industries by providing a sugarless ice cream whose physical, textural and organoleptic characteristics approach those of traditional ice creams prepared with saccharose.